Hyundai Rolls Out Pricing for Crossover-fighting 2018 Elantra GT; Entry Starts Just Above $20K

Hyundai, as we told you last month, has a pretty competent little hatchback on offer for 2018: the newly restyled, revamped, and (Hyundai hopes) reinvigorated Elantra GT. Sporting a mature European-designed body made possible by the overseas i30, the 2018 Elantra GT spices up its roomy hatch bonafides with available power — you’ll find 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque from the Elantra Sport-sourced 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder in the GT Sport.

Its base powerplant isn’t necessarily a slouch, either. (You’ll be able to read a TTAC review of the GT next week.) A direct-injection 2.0-liter generating 162 hp and 150 lb-ft puts the entry-level Elantra sedan’s powerplant to shame, and the cargo room — well, Hyundai’s all about that GT cargo volume. Why else would it call the model “a viable alternative to small CUVs for buyers desiring more fun-to-drive characteristics and greater utility” in the preamble to its price list?

The 2018 price floor for Hyundai’s front-wheel-drive CUV fighter isn’t much higher than last year’s, and those optional ponies won’t exactly break the bank. You can improve a Korean car 12 ways to Sunday, but you still can’t charge more than the Japanese or Germans.

In the U.S., a base GT with six-speed manual transmission carries an after-delivery sticker of $20,235, with a six-speed automatic fetching $1,000 extra. Moving up into the GT Sport sets buyers back a minimum of $24,135, or $25,135 if they’d prefer handing over the shifting duties to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox.

In 2017, a base Elantra GT retailed for $18,800 before delivery.

Both GT and GT Sport embody the Korean value proposition, undercutting the price of rivals. The recently introduced Honda Civic Si, which doesn’t come as a hatch, sports similar power numbers and a price ($24,775 for a 2017 model) just above that of the turbo Hyundai. The other obvious competitor, Volkswagen’s Golf GTI, retails for more than $2,000 more.

North of the border, a base GT GL manual (Hyundai Canada offers a diverse trim ladder) retails for $22,281 after a sizeable delivery charge. Getting into a GT Sport manual in the Great White North carries a cover charge of $28,831.50. A top-flight GT Sport Ultimate DCT, equipped with every last bit of technology and convenience? That’ll be $32,331.50, please.

All models carry an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The base model in Canada carries 16-inch wheels, while all Americans stand to gain 17- or 18-inch donuts.

Both countries, however, stand to gain extra room with the 2018 model. Boasting 25 cubic feet of aft cargo area, the Elantra GT’s stuff-swallowing capability rises to 55.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. That’s greater than some small crossovers, hence Hyundai’s marketing push.

[images: Hyundai USA]